World-class athletes compete in Epic Mountain Challenge

SUN photo/Michael PierceHoward Grotts, of Durango, negotiates a trail on Reservoir Hill during the Epic Mountain Challenge’s Rez D’huez 3k Uphill Mountain Bike Time Trial. Grotts won the individual event with a time of 8 minutes, 16 seconds.

By Kirsten Le Roux
Special to The SUN

Last weekend, more than 100 athletes descended on Pagosa Springs, hoping to race their way to a golden pay day at the Epic Mountain Challenge.

With $60,000 at stake across three categories (Epic Solo, Epic Open Team and Epic Female Team), the key to winning was consistency across all four events, over two grueling days.

Saturday morning was a half marathon on trails; Saturday afternoon was a 20-mile cross country mountain bike; Sunday morning was a 10k road running criterion and Saturday afternoon was a 3k uphill mountain bike time trial starting up Reservoir Hill and extending over the switchbacks to finish at the top (known as Rez D’Huez). Teams paired up as runner with biker and this created a unique situation where the best athletes from multiple sporting arenas were all competing. The top mountain bikers, road runners, trail runners, mountain runners, triathletes and XTERRA athletes were all racing together.

While the focus was on the Epic Duos and Solos, it was the individual events that captured the attention of the spectators, with mind-blowing performances across all categories. Exceptionally memorable was the run stage finishers — both impressive duals between road runner Mcdonard Ondara of Kenya and U.S. Mountain Running Champion Joseph Gray, with the Kenyan getting the win each time.